Ketamine alleviates PTSD-like effect and improves hippocampal synaptic plasticity via regulation of GSK-3β/GR signaling of rats.
Journal of psychiatric research October 1, 2024 Zixun Wang, Xinyu Hu, Zhongyi Wang et al. 9 citations
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects 3-4% of people globally each year. In a rat model of PTSD induced by single prolonged stress, a single low dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg) prevented anxiety-like behaviors. Ketamine also reversed stress-induced changes in the hippocampus: it increased expression of glucocorticoid receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, phosphorylated GSK-3β, FKBP5, and CRH, while decreasing GSK-3β protein expression, and it improved synaptic structure. A GSK-3β inhibitor produced similar behavioral effects, suggesting ketamine works by regulating GSK-3β/GR signaling to improve synaptic plasticity.